Sept. 12, 2022
OLATHE, Kan. – For the first time in program history, Concordia Lifting Sports competed in an official collegiate event. All seven Bulldogs who entered the Kansas Open Championships hosted by MidAmerica Nazarene University emerged with medals on Saturday (Sept. 10). Four of those Concordia student-athletes placed first among college lifters at the open event: Mary Berris (49 kg), Emily Guter (87+ kg), Kayleigh Maloney (64 kg) and Mitch Meyers (81 kg).
As Head Coach Freddie Myles noted, six of his athletes made five of the six total lifts at the competition in Olathe, Kan., where the field included youth, collegiate and adult competitors. Lifters tested their strength in snatch and clean and jerk.
“It definitely met my expectations,” Myles said of the first time out. “I was hoping for a lot of made lifts, and we got that. To complete five of six lifts is really a solid performance. Normally the sixth lift is near or exceeding your own personal record. I was pleased with that. It was a very good way to start off the season.
“The kids were definitely nervous before the competition. They had some anxiety, but I think they handled it well and performed well. Now that they have one under their belt, I think it will be a lot easier going forward. The nerves will be less next time.”
The Kansas Open Championships included athletes from other institutions such as host MidAmerica Nazarene, Iowa State University and Missouri Valley University. Not only did four Bulldogs place first among college athletes, the other three Concordia athletes placed third or better in their respective weight classes: Rylee Kara (second at 71 kg), Joe Vega (third at 73 kg) and Sydney Wadsworth (third at 87+ kg).
Myles sees plenty of room for growth with all seven athletes. Each of whom are freshmen who had never competed in a college event prior to this past week. They were all accomplished lifters during their high school careers and have the ability to lay a solid foundation for the program.
“This one was pretty quick,” Myles said. “They came off their summer training, and three weeks in, we had a meet. The next one being in early November, we’ll have more time to prepare for the meet. I think we’ll see some bigger numbers out of everyone.”
This particular meet was not a qualifier for nationals. However, Myles added that Berris, Guter, Kara, Maloney and Meyers each exceeded national qualifying standards with their performances in Olathe.
Placements at Kansas Open Championships (among college athletes):
· Mary Berris – 1st place at 49 kg
· Emily Guter – 1st place at 87+ kg
· Kayleigh Maloney – 1st place at 64 kg
· Mitch Meyers – 1st place at 81 kg
· Rylee Kara – 2nd place at 71 kg
· Joe Vega - 3rd place at 73 kg
· Sydney Wadsworth – 3rd place at 87+ kg
For lifting athletes, the next competition will be the Midwest Regionals hosted by Iowa State on Nov. 5. Myles will take the powerlifters into action at the Midland University Warrior Open on Oct. 8. Both teams will also have events during the spring semester.
Eleven Bulldogs compete in program's inaugural powerlifting event Oct. 9, 2022
FREMONT, Neb. – More history was made for Concordia University Lifting Sports as the program competed in a powerlifting competition for the first time in its existence. Eleven Bulldogs represented the program at the Warrior Collegiate Open hosted by Midland in Fremont, Neb., on Saturday (Oct. 8). The competition was made up primarily of Concordia and Midland athletes with select competitors from Minot State University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln sprinkled in.
Head Coach Freddie Myles had taken the Bulldog weightlifting athletes to the Kansas Open hosted by MidAmerica Nazarene University back on Sept. 10. However, this was the first time out for the powerlifters. Commented Myles, “I’m very happy with the team’s performance at the meet.”
Strength and Conditioning Graduate Assistant Chevy Stout filled in and accompanied the team to Fremont. The competition included 10 different weight classes for women and eight for men. Athletes earned place finishes based upon the cumulative weight of their best lifts in squat, bench and deadlift. In the 56kg women’s competition, Concordia’s Rylee Ladd beat out Midland’s Ashley Lopez (305 – 260 kg) as one of the meet’s highlights. In the men’s 75kg class, Hunter Powers (522.5) outlifted two of his teammates and placed second out of five athletes.
Each of the weight classes had between one and five athletes. Complete results can be viewed via the link provided above. Below is a listing of the 11 Bulldogs who competed at Midland.
Bulldogs in action at Warrior Collegiate Open
· Dax Davis (67.5 kg) | Grand Island, Neb.
· Garin Gilmore (140kg) | Riverton, Kan.
· Adrian Hernandez (110kg) | Grand Island, Neb.
· Mackenzie Houser (67.5kg) | Riverton, Kan.
· Rylee Ladd (56kg) | Chetek, Wis.
· Pryce Ostermeier (90kg) | Grand Island, Neb.
· Hunter Powers (75kg) | Grand Island, Neb.
· Garrett Reimche (75kg) | Lenexa, Kan.
· Emma Singer (60kg) | Spearfish, S.D.
· Abigail Velten (67.5kg) | Whitesboro, Texas
· Jacob Wagoner (75kg) | Columbus, Neb.
Next up on the powerlifting side of things will be the Midwest Regionals hosted by William Jewell University in Liberty, Mo., on Nov. 19-20. Weightlifters will be in action on Nov. 5 for their Midwest Regionals at Iowa State University.
Four Bulldogs earn medals at Midwest Regional competition Nov. 21, 2022
LIBERTY, Mo. – In the second competition in the history of the Concordia University Powerlifting program, four Bulldogs emerged with medals and two secured spots at the national championships as part of competition at the Midwest Regionals on Saturday (Nov. 19). Twelve Bulldogs made the journey to the event, which was hosted by William Jewell University in Liberty, Mo. It had been roughly a month-and-a-half since Concordia went to the Midland Open in October. Each athlete present in Liberty tested their strength in squat, bench and deadlift.
Head Coach Freddie Myles believes his program has progressed ahead of schedule. His group of mostly freshmen have shown they can compete with top competition in the region.
“I’m pleased with our improvement,” Myles said. “Not everyone had a perfect day, but we saw a lot of good performances. Almost everyone improved from the meet six weeks ago. Being able to get four medals at this meet is a big deal for us as a new program. A few people are really close to the national mark and a lot of our athletes took a step forward. We have 10 weeks before our next competition so I’m hoping we can close the gap and secure those national placements. As of now, we have five who are qualified.”
Medals were handed out to the top three finishers in each weight class at the Midwest Regionals. The four Bulldogs to reach the podium were Rylee Ladd (first at 52 kg), Pryce Ostermeier (second at 90 kg), Rylee Kara (third at 67.5 kg) and Hunter Powers (third at 75 kg). In addition, Kara and Dax Davis added their names to the team’s list of national qualifiers (and Ladd qualified in a second class). A native of Chetek, Wis., Ladd was able to outmuscle Midland’s Sindy Aguilera at 52 kg, 320 to 305.
At 90 kg on the men’s side, Ostermeier placed behind only Dawson Stebbins of McKendree University (Ill.), 630-580. The qualifying total for Dax Davis (67.5 kg) came in at 485 as he eclipsed the national standard by 10 kg. Myles also made special mention of Emma Singer (seven percent improvement) at 60 kg and Garin Gilmore (five percent improvement) at 140 kg for their significant gains compared to the season’s first meet. Singer is also a member of the Concordia Shooting Sports team.
Other Bulldogs who competed at the Midwest Regionals were Adrian Hernandez (110 kg), Mackenzie Houser (67.5 kg), Garrett Reimche (75 kg), Abigail Velten (67.5 kg) and Jacob Wagoner (75 kg).
Highlights from the Midwest Regionals
· Rylee Ladd – first place in the 52 kg class with a total of 320; improved by five percent.
· Pryce Ostermeier – second place in the 90 kg class with a total of 580.
· Rylee Kara – third place in the 67.5 kg class with a total of 340.
· Hunter Powers – third place in 75 kg class with a total of 530.
· Dax Davis – qualified for nationals while exceeding the national mark by 10 kg (seven percent increase from the season’s first meet).
· Emma Singer – improved by seven percent.
· Garin Gilmore – improved by five percent.
The next powerlifting event on the schedule will be the Nebraska State Championships hosted by Midland on Jan. 28. The event is slated to get underway at 8 a.m. CT from Fremont, Neb.
Five Bulldogs win titles in return to action at Heartland Open Jan. 23, 2023
OMAHA, Neb. – As a precursor to the Collegiate Weightlifting National Championships in March, the Concordia University Weightlifting team entered seven athletes into action at the Heartland Open on Jan. 21. Five Bulldogs emerged from the open event with titles in a show of continued improvement for the program. The event, hosted by Heartland Strength in Omaha, Neb., featured roughly 70 lifters and marked the third outing of the 2022-23 season for Concordia Weightlifting. Collegiate weightlifting tests each athlete in the disciplines of snatch and clean and jerk.
Head Coach Freddie Myles was pleased to see that his athletes kept up with their training during the Christmas break. This marked the team’s first competition since the Midwest Regionals on Nov. 5.
“Overall, it was a great meet for the team and a good steppingstone for those lifters competing at nationals in March,” Myles said. “It showed they did their programs over break. They were all in good shape. They came in ready to compete only a couple weeks into the semester. Six of them are going to be going to nationals. I’m really pleased with their performances. They made a majority of their lifts and I think they’re ready for a good showing in six weeks.”
The first-place claims at the Heartland Open came from Mary Berris (49kg), Rylee Kara (92kg) and Sydney Wadsworth (87+kg) on the women’s side and from Evan Fukuhara (81kg) and Mitch Myers (89kg) on the men’s side. A native of Sacramento, Calif., Fukuhara joined the program this semester and competed as a Bulldog for the first time.
Highlights from the Heartland Open
· Mary Berris – went 4-for-6 and placed first in the 49kg class.
· Evan Fukuhara – went 6-for-6 and placed first in the 81kg class in his first career competition at Concordia.
· Rylee Kara – went 5-for-6, set a new clean and jerk personal record of 92kg and placed first in the 64kg class.
· Kayleigh Maloney – went 5-for-6 on her lifts.
· Mitch Myers – went 6-for-6, set new personal records, improved 6% from regionals and placed first in the 89kg class.
· Sydney Wadsworth – went 6-for-6, improved her total 3% from regionals in November and placed first in the 87+kg class.
Both Kayleigh Maloney and Joe Vega took things lighter while preparing to be at full strength come March. Concordia looks forward to nationals when it will be represented by Berris, Fukuhara, Kara, Maloney, Myers and Vega.
Said Myles, “We’re hoping for everyone to get a few percentage points higher. I think they can all improve before the next meet and hopefully place as high as possible on the medal podium. It was good to get Evan a competition. He made all his lifts and he was only three kilos from his all-time best total. It was a learning experience for him as far as working with me and me warming him up. For me, I had to learn how he competes.”
Collegiate Weightlifting Nationals are scheduled to run March 3-5 in Columbus, Ohio. Meanwhile, Myles will take the powerlifters to the Nebraska State Championships at Midland this Saturday (Jan. 28).
Four Bulldogs place first, widespread improvement made at Nebraska State Championships Jan. 30, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Powerlifting team continued to make strides as it competed in its third competition as a young program. The Bulldogs were represented by 10 lifters at the Nebraska State Championships held at Midland in Fremont, Neb., this past Saturday (Jan. 28) and came away with four first-place finishes. The event featured a combined 87 collegiate, high school and adult athletes who competed in the standard powerlifting disciplines of squat, bench press and deadlift.
Every single Bulldog improved compared to the team’s most recent outing, the Midwest Regionals on Nov. 19. First place claims were made by Dax Davis (67.5kg), Adrian Hernandez (110kg), Hunter Powers (75kg) and Emma Singer (60kg). Between powerlifting and weightlifting, Head Coach Freddie Myles has led the Bulldogs into a total of six competitions in the program’s inaugural 2022-23 season.
“It was a really good meet,” Myles said. “Everyone improved their total from the last meet in November. For those who are done with their seasons, they did a great job of working hard and getting stronger in the room. For those who made nationals, it’s a great accomplishment. We’re going to take five athletes from powerlifting to nationals. We had three on the men’s side that were really close, and I think they’ll make it next year. This was a meet where we saw high placements and a lot of our kids added a good 10 to 15 kilos to their totals compared to our last meet.”
Highlights from the meet for each individual are detailed below. Not only did four Bulldogs win four titles, Rylee Ladd, Garret Reimche and Jacob Wagoner placed second and Kenzie Houser placed third (within their respective weight classes). In addition, Abigail Velten also managed to eclipse the national qualifying total and Wagoner went a perfect 9-for-9 on his lifts.
Highlights from Nebraska State Championships – Jan. 28
--Noted improvements are compared to the previous outing at the Midwest Regionals on Nov. 19.
· Dax Davis – Improved by 20kg; placed first in the 67.5kg class.
· Adrian Hernandez – Improved by 15kg; placed first in the 110kg class.
· Jack Hedke – Competed in first career college competition and placed third in an open across weights class.
· Kenzie Houser – Stepped down a weight class and improved her total by 12.5kg; placed third.
· Rylee Ladd – Improved by 12.5kg and placed second in the state.
· Hunter Powers – Improved by 10kg and placed first in the 75kg class.
· Garrett Reimche – Improved by 12.5kg and placed second in the 75kg class.
· Emma Singer – Placed first in the 60kg class while improving from the last meet.
· Jacob Wagoner – Went 9-for-9 on his lifts, improved 20kg and placed second in the 82.5kg class.
· Abigail Velten – Made the national qualifying total and went 8-for-9 on her lifts.
Next up for the Concordia Powerlifters are the Collegiate Powerlifting Nationals scheduled for April 13-16 in Arlington, Texas. That meet will conclude the 2022-23 season for the Bulldogs, who also competed at the Midland Warrior Open (Oct. 8) and Midwest Regionals (Nov. 19).
University weightlifting nationals set for Thursday-Friday in Columbus, Ohio Feb. 28, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – The inaugural season of competitive weightlifting at Concordia will wrap up this Thursday and Friday (March 2-3) with the 2023 National University Championships, sponsored by USA Weightlifting. The national championship event will be held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, where four qualifying Bulldogs will put themselves to the test. It will mark the first time the program has ever been represented on the collegiate national scene.
Head Coach Freddie Myles will travel Mary Berris, Evan Fukuhara, Kayleigh Maloney and Rylee Kara to Columbus. Says Myles, “Everyone’s training has gone well and I’m looking forward to the team performing at its best at nationals.”
Concordia National Competitors
· Mary Berris (49kg) | Windsor, Colo.
· Evan Fukuhara (73kg) | Sacramento, Calif.
· Rylee Kara (64kg) | Osseo, Minn.
· Kayleigh Maloney (59kg) | Nampa, Idaho
As Myles noted, Berris, Fukuhara and Maloney are rated in the top five on their respective start lists. As a team, Concordia Weightlifting has competed in three previous meets in 2022-23: the Kansas Open (Sept. 10), Midwest Regionals (Nov. 5) and Heartland Open (Jan. 21). Collegiate weightlifting tests each athlete in the disciplines of snatch and clean and jerk. In the most recent outing, the Heartland Open, Berris (49kg), Fukuhara (81kg) and Kara (64kg) each placed first in their respective weight classes.
More details on the 2023 National University Championships can be found via the USA Weightlifting website HERE .
Maloney wins first place medal in snatch; four Bulldogs represent program at nationals Mar. 6, 2023
COLUMBUS, Ohio – It was another first for Concordia University Lifting Sports over the weekend as four Bulldogs represented the weightlifting team at the 2023 National University Championships held March 2-3. The inaugural season for weightlifting was capped at the national event hosted at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, where Kayleigh Maloney earned a first place medal in the discipline of snatch. The competition marked the first time Concordia has taken part in a national championship event in either weightlifting or powerlifting.
Head Coach Freddie Myles led the weightlifters into action at three previous competitions: the Kansas Open (Sept. 10), Midwest Regionals (Nov. 5) and Heartland Open (Jan. 21).
Individual highlights from the National University Championships (sponsored by USA Weightlifting) are included below. Weightlifting tests each athlete in the disciplines of snatch and clean and jerk. Overall national finishes for Bulldog athletes within their own weight classes were fourth for Merry Berris, fourth for Evan Fukuhara, 12th for Rylee Kara and sixth for Maloney. Fukuhara was in a close battle for third at 73kg. A native of Nampa, Idaho, Maloney was given a medal for her national title in snatch at 59kg. Both Berris and Fukuhara either reset or equaled personal bests in their lifts.
Individual Highlights
· Marry Berris – Placed fourth in the 49kg weight class; improved her total by 17.5 percent for the season and set new personal bests in both lifts.
· Evan Fukuhara – Placed fourth in the 73kg class; equaled personal best in clean and jerk.
· Rylee Kara – Placed 12th in the 64kg class.
· Kayleigh Maloney – Placed sixth in the 59kg class; took first place in snatch.
While weightlifting has completed its 2022-23 season, Concordia Powerlifting now looks forward to its national championships. Powerlifting nationals will unfold in Arlington, Texas, April 13-16.
USA Powerlifting Collegiate Nationals to run this week in Arlington, Texas Apr. 11, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – The inaugural season of competitive powerlifting at Concordia will wrap up this Thursday through Sunday (April 13-16) with the 2023 USA Powerlifting Collegiate National Championships. The national championship event will be held at the Arlington Expo Center in Arlington, Texas, where four qualifying Bulldogs will put themselves to the test. It will mark the first time the program has ever been represented on the collegiate powerlifting national scene.
Head Coach Freddie Myles will travel Dax Davis, Kenzie Houser, Rylee Ladd and Emma Singer to Arlington. Singer will have the honor of representing Concordia at national championship events in both shooting sports and powerlifting.
Concordia National Competitors
· Dax Davis, 67.5kg (Grand Island, Neb.)
· Kenzie Houser, 60kg (Riverton, Kan.)
· Rylee Ladd, 56kg (Chetek, Wis.)
· Emma Singer, 60kg (Spearfish, S.D.)
As a team, Concordia Powerlifting has competed in three previous meets in 2022-23: the Midland Warrior Open (Oct. 8), the Midwest Regionals (Nov. 19-20) and the Nebraska State Championships (Jan. 28). Collegiate powerlifting tests each athlete in the disciplines of squat, bench press and deadlift. In the most recent outing, the Nebraska State Championships, four Bulldogs came away with first-place finishes: Dax Davis, Adrian Hernandez, Hunter Powers and Emma Singer.
More details on the 2023 USA Powerlifting Collegiate National Championships can be found via the USA Powerlifting website HERE .
ARLINGTON, Texas – It was another first for Concordia University Lifting Sports as four members of the powerlifting portion of the program competed at the 2023 USA Powerlifting Collegiate National Championships held at the Arlington Expo Center in Arlington, Texas, April 13-14. The national championships included more than 1,200 athletes in 10 weight classes from all divisions of collegiate competition. The Bulldogs were represented at nationals by four freshmen in Dax Davis, Kenzie Houser, Rylee Ladd and Emma Singer.
The outing marked the conclusion to the 2022-23 inaugural season for Head Coach Freddie Myles’ squad. The experience at nationals will serve the program well as it aspires for growth moving into 2023-24. Said Myles, “I was pleased with how we did. They’re all freshmen and it was their first time at nationals. It’s a big deal to be able to make it there and will be a good steppingstone for next year.”
Collegiate powerlifting features the squat, bench press and deadlift. A native of Chetek, Wis., Ladd placed 19th out of 49 lifters in the 56kg category. Her top lifts were 117.5kg in squat, 82.5kg in bench and 142.5kg in deadlift. Her total came in at 302.5kg. Meanwhile, Davis placed 28th out of 55 individuals in the men’s 67.5kg class, Kenzie Houser placed 50th out of 70 athletes in the women’s 60kg class and Emma Singer placed 56th out of 70 competitors in the women’s 60kg class. As Myles noted, Davis and Singer set new personal bests in all three lifts and Houser recorded PRs in bench and squat.
Compared to the beginning of the season, Ladd improved nine percent, Davis improved 15 percent and Singer improved 12 percent. As a team, Concordia Powerlifting has competed in three previous meets in 2022-23: the Midland Warrior Open (Oct. 8), the Midwest Regionals (Nov. 19-20) and the Nebraska State Championships (Jan. 28).
Concordia National Championship results
· Dax Davis, 67.5kg – placed 28th / 55 (527.5)
· Kenzie Houser, 60kg – placed 50th / 70 (302.5)
· Rylee Ladd, 56kg – placed 19th / 49 (327.5)
· Emma Singer, 60kg – placed 56th / 70 (295)
Team winners from the collegiate national championships can be found HERE .
Myles and the program now enter the offseason as the spring semester nears the finish line. Official competitions will resume in the fall of 2023. For more information on Concordia Lifting Sports, check out the program’s homepage HERE .